This invention relates to a brisket barrier for milking parlors.
In modern dairies, cows are milked in standard stalls using automated equipment. The milking process depends on accurately locating the cows in the stalls, so that the equipment will be properly positioned with respect to the udder in each case.
The stall is not much larger than the cow. The rear of the stall is defined by a butt plate that the cow can back up to. The front is defined by some sort of movable barrier: the type of barrier contemplated by this invention is a brisket barrier, that is, a transverse bar which engages the animal just in front of its shoulders.
One prior patent disclosing a brisket barrier for use in a milking parlor is U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,768. It shows an arrangement in which the brisket barrier pivots down from above the cow, against the brisket, forcing the cow back toward the butt plate or splash shield.